Saturday, March 1, 2025
Home Blog Page 4

30 Last-Minute Cheap Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

admin
-
0
30 Last-Minute Cheap Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas


Are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this year? Whether you’re looking for at-home date night ideas or Valentine’s Day gift ideas, we’ve got you!

The good old Valentine’s Day, either you love it, or you hate it. For me personally, I like the idea of Valentine’s Day and doing something for someone you love.

It’s fun to show someone in a personal and creative way that you appreciate them. That’s why in this article, we will talk about cheap Valentine’s Day gift ideas that will make Valentine’s special without spending too much money.

Frugal Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Here are Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him or her. Gifts that you can give your loved one without breaking the bank.


1. Free Pair of Diamond Earrings

Surprise your loved one this Valentine’s Day with exquisite diamond earrings. Each purchase includes a free gift box, and our 100% naturally mined and conflict-free diamonds ensure both quality and ethical sourcing. The “Grand” stud earrings feature a unique design with small and large stones, offering a bigger look and better value. Give a gift that will dazzle and symbolize your eternal love.

2. Monthly Date Night Subscription Box

Do you want to have a monthly date night filled with fun? With the Crater with Love date night subscription box, there is no planning required. They deliver a new date night idea to your doorstep every month to strengthen your relationship.

Previous date night box themes included solving crimes in Honolulu, Yosemite, or Howling Hotel (escape room).

3. Sock Subscription

Do you want to give your loved one a surprise every single month? Gift them a Stock Fancy subscription. Every month, you get a pair of fun, comfortable, and well-designed socks delivered to your doorstep.


4. The Five Love Languages

The eight-time New York Times best-selling book The Five Love Languages teaches you how we all have a different love language. The book touches on how to deepen your relationship, be more intimate with each other, and strengthen your relationship in the long term.

5. Rose Gold Engraved Necklace

When you want to make your Valentine feel special, this rose gold engraved necklace does exactly that. You can give a personalized gift without spending hundreds of dollars, leaving you enough budget for a date night in!

6. The Bucket List Book

If you are looking for adventures for a lifetime and doing exciting new things, the Bucket List book is the perfect gift. It is the guide to fun and exploration. With many of us yearning to travel, it is the perfect book to get ideas and make your next travel plans.

7. Talk, Flirt, Dare

If you are looking to reconnect or want to have a fun evening, Talk, Flirt, and Dare is a great gift for that! You can give this as a wedding or anniversary gift for him or her or as a present to spice up any relationship.

8. Scented Candle

If you want to give a personalized gift that is funny and thoughtful, you may want to consider these scented candles. You can put any text on them, and I have to say that I love you more than Tacos is one of my favorites!

9. Bamboo State Serving and Cutting Board

If you want to give your Valentine a personalized gift, surprise them with a bamboo serving and cutting board of one of the states. Whether it’s the state you currently live in or the state you would like to move to, it makes for a unique Valentine’s Day gift idea.

10. Vintage Record Player

If your Valentine enjoys listening to music, a vintage record player can be quite the gift. You can put this one in your bedroom, living room, or office. The retro look, together with the modern technology, makes both the price and design attractive.

11. Essential Oil Diffuser

When you want to make the house smell good and make your significant other happy, an essential oil diffuser may be what you’re looking for. The aromatherapy diffuser is BPA-free, and you can use it anywhere you want!

12. Love Language – The Card Game

If you want to connect to someone you just started dating or someone you have been married to for years, the Love Language game is designed to bring you closer together.

13. Heart Shaped Waffle Iron

What is more fun than having breakfast in bed? Imagine having waffles in bed with this heart-shaped waffle iron.

If you’re not the type that wants hearts, here’s another fun waffle iron that makes pineapples. It may be one of my favorites:

14. watch Your Favorite Movies Together

Do you want to give the gift of doing something together? Here is a movie scratch-off poster. Scratch off all the movies you’ve watched together, and start working your way down on the list. This will probably extend far beyond Valentine’s Day.

15. Date Night In Cookbook

Valentine’s Day does not have to be expensive dinners out. With this Date Night in cookbook, you can enjoy amazing dinners while social distancing.

16. Massage Candle

If a couple’s massage is slightly above budget, know that you can still treat yourself on a budget. With the massage candle, you can stay in the comfort of your home and enjoy.

17. Chocolate Covered Oreos

Chocolate is one of the classic Valentine’s Day gifts that you don’t want to skip. What is better than this box of Barnett’s box with Chocolate Covered Oreos.

18. Coffee Mug Warmer

With this mug, the hot beverage of choice will stay warm all day. You can determine how warm you want your drink, and it will be at the perfect drinking temperature the entire day. I cannot think of a better Valentine’s Day gift than this coffee mug warmer.

Free Valentine’s Day Ideas For Him Or Her

Now onto the free Valentine’s Day ideas. While Valentine’s Day is a great way to connect to the people you love, you don’t have to spend money to do it. You can have a great V-day without spending money.

cropped-couple-happy-wine_MSNcropped-couple-happy-wine_MSN
Image Credit: AllaSerebrina/DepositPhotos.

20. Replicate Your Favorite Date

To think of an appropriate Valentine’s gift, think about your favorite moments with that person. Perhaps you had a great time together going to the local bookstore or going to the place you first met.

I love to go with my partner to the city where I lived when I was studying, which is also the city where we first met. It feels like home for both of us, and it’s something nostalgic to do every once in a while!

21. Acts of Service

Does your sweetheart hate folding the laundry, cleaning up the house, or making dinner? This year with Valentine’s Day, take over their chores as an act of service. It’s a small effort for you that will be very much appreciated!

22. Write A Letter

Writing a letter on paper has something so romantic around it! So surprise your sweetheart with a hand-written card this Valentine’s Day. Tell them what you love about them, your favorite memories together, and why you appreciate them.

You can send your letter through the Loveland Remailing Program, where volunteers from Loveland, Colorado, will stamp an additional verse to your Valentine’s Day letter.

23. No Phones For 24 Hours

Do you want to connect with your significant other truly? Are you looking at your phone regularly when you are with your partner? As with many people, this is the case. Giving the gift of 100% attention to your loved one may be what they want on this special day.

24. Cook Together

I love cooking together! You can listen to music, have a glass of wine. Every once in a while, you check whether your meal is not burnt yet! I love homemade pizza (yes, I call that cooking), anything with rice or some pasta. Don’t forget to get a nice wine (or beer, whatever you prefer) and some candles out. Quality time guaranteed.

25. Take A Nice Long Walk

If you want to hit two birds with one stone, you can take a nice long walk together to get more fit. Walking is a great way to connect since you have the time to chat about whatever you want. While, at the same time, you’re getting fit.

If you and your loved one want to be more active together, one great gift can be a fitness tracker.

26. Go Local

I bet that in the city you live in, or a city close to you, there are tons of things that you can visit! Discover the city, walk around, and visit museums or local landmarks. When you avoid expensive museums and don’t go out to eat for every meal of the day, this can be a pretty inexpensive day.

27. Secret Notes Or Hidden Candy

When you want to surprise your significant other first thing in the morning, hide candy or leave secret notes where you know they will find them. Slip a note in their bag, or put some candy in their car. Waking up in the morning and finding secret notes or hidden candy is a pleasant surprise that everyone will appreciate.

28. Go For A Picnic

Depending on the weather in your area, a picnic can be a great idea. You bring your own food, your own drinks, and a blanket. If you are not so lucky to live in the South, where the weather allows a picnic in February, you can have an inside picnic idea as well.

Family Having A PicnicFamily Having A Picnic
Image Credit:
Wavebreakmedia/DepositPhotos.

29. Do A Scavenger Hunt

Do you want to have fun with your sweetheart? Create riddles that they need to answer and make them a scavenger hunt!

30. DIY Spa Night

If you want to spend time together and want to have a romantic evening, you can have a DIY spa night. You can run a bath, make some face masks, or give a massage.

If you don’t have the items for a home spa set, you can always choose to get yours here:

 

31. Binge-Watch Your Favorite Show

When you want to spend more time with your loved one, freeing up an entire day and just binge-watching your favorite TV show can be perfect. You want to rest, have delicious snacks, and enjoy each other’s company.

32. It’s YOUR Valentine’s Day, Do Whatever You Want!

In the end, Valentine’s Day is not about the gift-giving in particular. It is about showing your loved ones that you care about them and that they are special to you. For some people, Valentine’s Day is just another day of the week. For others, however, it is special, and they love to pamper their loved ones. Celebrate it how you want to celebrate it, not how you think you should celebrate it.

If you find it hard to come up with something, here are some great gift ideas for women who have everything!

What I’m trying to say here is this: if you love Valentine’s Day and you love gift-giving and spending time with your sweetheart on the 14th of February, that’s all good. If you don’t, that’s all good as well. Make the holiday optimal for you, enjoy!

If you want to educate your sweetheart financially, Rich Dad Poor Dad might be a good gift. It is a good read while at the same time explaining what steps you should take to increase your financial literacy. Read my Rich Dad Poor Dad book review here!

My plans will probably be eating Ben & Jerry’s and watching a Christmas movie because, let’s be honest, that is the real thing that I enjoy 1000% and what I’ll be doing every day when I FIRE.

If you need more Valentine’s Day ideas, check out this page for more inspiration.

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?

Homeowner sues insurer known for suing its own policyholders

admin
-
0


Our team in the news with one of our clients! We are always working to help the policyholder get a fair and proper settlement.

Homeowner sues insurer known for suing its own policyholders

The post Homeowner sues insurer known for suing its own policyholders appeared first on All Claims USA Public Adjusters.

WordPress Maintenance: 10 Essential Tasks

admin
-
0
WordPress Maintenance: 10 Essential Tasks


Posted October 19, 2020 by Lee

You’ve gone live with our WordPress website, and everything you want is on there. Great! The fun doesn’t end there, though. If you just leave the site to get on with it and wait for orders to roll in or visits to grow. Then you are missing a significant factor of running a website.

Maintenance; in just the same way that regular dental checkups can you save money in the long run, so does having a regular maintenance schedule for your WordPress website.

Security

Top of any list is security, both monitoring and cleanups. Your website should have a security plugin installed, SSL and malware cover. If you are using our WordPress Hosting packages, you can use the Security Checkup within the WordPress Toolkit to ensure your site remains secure. It is still important to run regular security assessments and cleanups. Follow the WordPress guidance regarding setup keys and salts.

Make sure that you are using the WordPress security key system. To increase security, WordPress hides the usernames and passwords that your users create behind a long and unintelligible string of numbers and letters, making them difficult to decode.  There is a plug in to save you from having to update this manually.

Other security maintenance that you should be undertaking includes:

  • Spam cleanup
  • Reviewing the user lists and removing any inactive users
  • Encourage users to change their passwords frequently by forcing a reset of all passwords every 90 days.

Monthly Quality Audit

WordPress recommends that users update their websites and validate them regularly.

Each month you should:

  • Test the responsiveness of the design
  • Review code; make sure that it’s up to current standards
  • Ensure user accessibility
  • Repair any broken links

User Experience Audit

Have a front end “walk-through” to make sure there is nothing there that you have missed. Check for and repair anything that is broken or not working correctly, especially if it is essential for visitor engagements and conversions.

Check the user experience of:

  • Checkout
  • Contact forms
  • Clickable Buttons
  • Feeds
  • Internal Search

Speed, Performance and Optimization

Run a speed and general performance check on your WordPress site every month. This proactive step ensures that you assess any changes to files, themes, or your database that may cause problems such as slowdowns.

Monthly Backups

A full back up should be undertaken at the very least each month. We have a guide on How to Back Up a WordPress Site which you may find useful. Ensuring you have a secure backup is essential to good maintenance of your website.

Updates to Software

By regularly updating the software each month or more frequently, you can save yourself a lot of potential angst. Many website problems only occur because updates are not run that would protect the site.

Analysis and Reporting

Run your analytics and reporting systems each month. 

Optimize your Database

Clean up the database. This ensures maximum optimization and with things like installed plugins generating new tables and potentially slowing the site down a regular clean up is well worth the effort.

Comment Moderation and Spam Removal

Where there is the option for visitors to leave comments, there will be a high percentage of crude comments and spam. A regular check through and removal of the inappropriate additions adds credence to your website.

When you have user reviews, and especially if there is a forum included, regular attention to the content of these is essential for the health of your site.

Internal and External Links

Another front of site audit that is easy to miss, but is critical is the checking of links and the removal of dead links or links to deceased websites. When the links are to your own products, make sure that they are to the correct product.

Categories:

WordPress

About The Author

Lee is a Website Developer at Unlimited Web Hosting UK Limited.

Best Mutual Fund

admin
-
0
Best Mutual Fund


Editor’s Note: Tech giants are racing to solve the AI energy crisis… and Chief Income Strategist Marc Lichtenfeld says nuclear power could be their secret weapon.

Why nuclear? It’s clean… it’s safe… it’s efficient… and most importantly, it’s gaining widespread support from governments around the world.

That should equate to a huge surge of money flooding into nuclear energy in the coming years… and Marc has identified three ways to play this trend. (Learn more here!)

And that’s what makes investing so fascinating…

Markets are constantly evolving, and capital flows to where it’s most efficient. The same principles apply when selecting mutual funds.

In today’s article, Alexander Green explains why one fund family stands above the rest – offering investors low costs, built-in diversification, and a long track record of success.

Keep reading for his full analysis…

– Nicole Labra, Senior Managing Editor

I make my living picking stocks. But I also recommend mutual funds in one of my portfolios.

In fact, I even wrote a book about it. It’s called The Gone Fishin’ Portfolio: Get Wise, Get Wealthy, and Get On With Your Life.

An instant New York Times bestseller when the first edition came out in 2008, I wrote an updated and revised edition a few years ago, with a new Foreword by long-time subscriber Bill O’Reilly.

Many of my individual stock recommendations have performed much better than the S&P 500.

So why would I recommend that investors also participate in mutual funds? Because they offer several advantages:

  1. Diversification. The risk of owning a whole portfolio of stocks is considerably less than the risk of holding any one individual stock. But it can take quite a bit of money to build a diversified portfolio of stocks or bonds. You get instant diversification with each mutual fund share.
  2. Professional management. Whether you own an index fund or an actively managed fund, there is a professional manager overseeing the portfolio.
  3. Low minimums. Each fund establishes its own investment minimum. But minimums have come down dramatically over the past few years. And ETFs have no investment minimums.
  4. No financial advisor required. You can buy mutual funds that charge no loads (commissions) directly from the fund companies.
  5. Liquidity. Mutual fund companies will allow you to redeem (sell) all or part of your shares on any day the market is open for trading. ETFs can be sold at market on any day the market is open.
  6. Automatic reinvestment. You can arrange for all your fund’s dividends and capital gains to be automatically reinvested in the fund – or directed to other funds – without charge.
  7. Convenience. You can buy and redeem fund shares online, by phone, or by mail. You can arrange automatic purchases from your bank account, or you can arrange regular periodic withdrawals. You can also arrange that the proceeds from your funds’ redemptions or distributions be deposited in your bank account.
  8. Simplified record keeping. You will receive regular statements showing the value of your account and any activity. At the end of each year, you’ll receive the tax- reporting information you need, too.
  9. Customer service. If you have a question or a problem, or need to make changes to your account, you can call your fund’s toll-free customer service line and get the help you need at no additional cost.
  10. Time. Owning shares of a mutual fund saves you the trouble of researching, constructing and monitoring a portfolio of individual stocks.

There are essentially two types of mutual funds: index funds and actively managed funds:

  1. Index funds. With these, the fund manager attempts to replicate the return of a particular benchmark, such as the S&P 500 or the Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate Bond Index. Index fund managers generally do not buy stocks or bonds that are not included in the benchmark.
  2. Actively managed funds. Active managers try to outperform a benchmark by selecting the best-performing securities or trying to time the market. Or both.

Some readers may question why any investor would settle for the performance of an index when you can opt for a fund manager who will swing for the fences.

The answer is because most of them strike out.

You may not realize just how exceptional – and rare – great managers are.

Investing in actively managed funds is generally an exercise in futility.

In any given year, about three-quarters of all equity fund managers underperform. Over periods of 10 years or more, over 90% of them do.

Why would you pay higher fees for less than a one-in-ten chance of long-term outperformance?

You wouldn’t… if you knew the truth.

If you’re going to invest in index funds, the best choice is Vanguard.

The average Vanguard mutual fund and ETF expense ratio is 82% less than the industry average.

That’s because Vanguard is a not-for-profit corporation. The fund company is actually owned by the fund shareholders. That means everything is run at cost.

And with Vanguard, you know exactly what you’re getting.

Vanguard stock and bond funds stay fully invested in their target markets.

Their managers do not try to time the market.

Vanguard does not advertise its funds’ past returns or peer rankings, which are based on past performance and can mislead investors.

In short, the interests of Vanguard shareholders and fund managers are completely aligned. That means lower fees, less hassle, no sales pressure and higher net returns.

However, this month the case for investing in Vanguard funds became even more compelling.

And in Monday’s column, I’ll explain why.



Episode 249: Running a Small Firm

admin
-
0
Episode 249: Running a Small Firm


Why is running your practice so hard? Regardless of whether you have been in business a week or entering your twentieth year of firm ownership, the challenges you face in running your practice can keep you awake at night. On today’s episode Jake looks at three major obstacles facing small business owners (the law school mindset, lack of feedback loop, and a constantly changing market) and how to overcome them. Get ready to make practicing law easy(ish)!



Scale or Fail—The AI Gold Rush for Personalization

admin
-
0
Scale or Fail—The AI Gold Rush for Personalization


PLUS: How Brands Are Measuring Social Media Impact?

Author

Zihan Lyu
February 22, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Highlights from today’s newsletter:
📊 Why data-driven decision-making beats intuition in marketing?
👥 Why community-first brands win Gen Z?
📱 How brands are measuring social media impact?

EDITOR’S PICK

#AI IN MARKETING

Personalization at scale used to be a pipe dream—now, it’s a competitive necessity. AI is making hyper-targeted content, promotions, and customer interactions effortless, but the real challenge is earning trust and staying relevant without crossing the line.

Brands like leading retailers are ditching blanket discounts for AI-driven precision offers, while financial services firms are crafting real-time, dynamically optimized messaging based on behavior and context. But as personalization gets smarter, consumers are setting the terms—they’ll trade data for relevance, but only if brands play fair.

How do you personalize without alienating? How do you scale without losing authenticity? The brands that master this balance will dominate.

#EVENT INSIGHTS

Retail and e-commerce leaders are gathering in Palm Springs for eTail West 2025, where the biggest brands will share their strategies, innovations, and future trends.

🔎 Want real-time insights, key takeaways, and behind-the-scenes updates?

Subscribe to Unofficially eTail, our dedicated event newsletter, for exclusive coverage straight from the show floor.

📍 Attending eTail West? Let’s connect!

Brands transitioning from vanity metrics to deeper engagement measures gain strategic advantage. Emphasizing conversion data, marketers can harness AI and social listening tools to capture impactful interactions.

Comprehensive dashboards facilitate insight across campaigns, streamlining marketing efforts to enhance customer connectivity.

GumGum’s extensive survey across the US, UK, and Canada uncovers a strong preference for privacy-conscious, contextual video ads among consumers. With 94% opting for context-driven ads over traditional browsing-history methods, GumGum’s innovative AI approach matches ads with viewer interests, optimizing engagement while sustaining brand safety via MRC-certified contextual analysis.

Strategically leveraging structured analytics in marketing replaces costly intuition, refining budgets and minimizing errors. Prioritizing data-driven decisions enhances campaign precision by relying on verifiable performance metrics.

Cultivating an evidence-based culture is essential in digital marketing, attuning strategies to dynamic trends and ensuring impactful, informed actions in a competitive landscape.

💭INSIGHTS FROM MELISSA KONSTANTAS

💭INSIGHTS FROM LOUBY MCLOUGHLIN

🎙 DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING LEADER PODCAST BY KNOTCH

Chantel Rapport, CMO of Upstart, explores AI’s transformative impact on marketing, emphasizing the integration of creativity and data with an eye on privacy issues. As marketing strategies evolve, the discussion focuses on personalized, innovative approaches and AI-driven decision making, offering nsights into data-led marketing practices.

Editorial

Advertise with us

Connect with us on socials

Scale or Fail—The AI Gold Rush for Personalization

admin
-
0
Scale or Fail—The AI Gold Rush for Personalization


PLUS: How Brands Are Measuring Social Media Impact?

Author

Zihan Lyu
February 22, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Highlights from today’s newsletter:
📊 Why data-driven decision-making beats intuition in marketing?
👥 Why community-first brands win Gen Z?
📱 How brands are measuring social media impact?

EDITOR’S PICK

#AI IN MARKETING

Personalization at scale used to be a pipe dream—now, it’s a competitive necessity. AI is making hyper-targeted content, promotions, and customer interactions effortless, but the real challenge is earning trust and staying relevant without crossing the line.

Brands like leading retailers are ditching blanket discounts for AI-driven precision offers, while financial services firms are crafting real-time, dynamically optimized messaging based on behavior and context. But as personalization gets smarter, consumers are setting the terms—they’ll trade data for relevance, but only if brands play fair.

How do you personalize without alienating? How do you scale without losing authenticity? The brands that master this balance will dominate.

#EVENT INSIGHTS

Retail and e-commerce leaders are gathering in Palm Springs for eTail West 2025, where the biggest brands will share their strategies, innovations, and future trends.

🔎 Want real-time insights, key takeaways, and behind-the-scenes updates?

Subscribe to Unofficially eTail, our dedicated event newsletter, for exclusive coverage straight from the show floor.

📍 Attending eTail West? Let’s connect!

Brands transitioning from vanity metrics to deeper engagement measures gain strategic advantage. Emphasizing conversion data, marketers can harness AI and social listening tools to capture impactful interactions.

Comprehensive dashboards facilitate insight across campaigns, streamlining marketing efforts to enhance customer connectivity.

GumGum’s extensive survey across the US, UK, and Canada uncovers a strong preference for privacy-conscious, contextual video ads among consumers. With 94% opting for context-driven ads over traditional browsing-history methods, GumGum’s innovative AI approach matches ads with viewer interests, optimizing engagement while sustaining brand safety via MRC-certified contextual analysis.

Strategically leveraging structured analytics in marketing replaces costly intuition, refining budgets and minimizing errors. Prioritizing data-driven decisions enhances campaign precision by relying on verifiable performance metrics.

Cultivating an evidence-based culture is essential in digital marketing, attuning strategies to dynamic trends and ensuring impactful, informed actions in a competitive landscape.

💭INSIGHTS FROM MELISSA KONSTANTAS

💭INSIGHTS FROM LOUBY MCLOUGHLIN

🎙 DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING LEADER PODCAST BY KNOTCH

Chantel Rapport, CMO of Upstart, explores AI’s transformative impact on marketing, emphasizing the integration of creativity and data with an eye on privacy issues. As marketing strategies evolve, the discussion focuses on personalized, innovative approaches and AI-driven decision making, offering nsights into data-led marketing practices.

Editorial

Advertise with us

Connect with us on socials

115 Beethoven Avenue, Newton, MA 02468

admin
-
0
115 Beethoven Avenue, Newton, MA 02468


Download Links:

Gallery:

Questions?

Please call/text Carol Vaghar at (617) 669-4132.

This webpage is for marketing purposes online. Any information on it is not guaranteed to be correct. Please verify any information with the appropriate licensed authority. Please contact us with any questions.

The post 115 Beethoven Avenue, Newton, MA 02468 appeared first on The Vaghar Team.

Tunnel of Fudge Cake | Tunnel of Fudge Recipe

admin
-
0
Tunnel of Fudge Cake | Tunnel of Fudge Recipe


This updated version of the Tunnel of Fudge Cake is take on the classic nostalgic vintage cake that popularized the bundt pan. It features a creamy dark chocolate filling with nuts and cacao nibs!

Jump to Recipe

A slice of tunnel of fudge cake on a plate, with the remaining cake behind it on a cake stand.

Lately I’ve been obsessed over nostalgic American vintage recipes like my version of the black bottom cupcakes and secret ingredient peanut butter blossoms. Next on my list was the classic Tunnel of Fudge cake that won Ella Helfrich second place in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake Off. What’s remarkable is that it not only came in second place (the first-place winner, Mari Petrelli’s Golden Gate Snack Bread is largely a footnote in the Bake Off history) but that it popularized Nordic Ware’s bundt pan (<- affiliate link).

Nordic Ware started out in 1950 making bundt pans, but sales were slow until the Tunnel of Fudge cake recipe exploded in popularity. Soon, Nordic Ware had to run their factory 24/7 to keep up with demands of their pan, cranking out 30,000 pans per day during the peak period. And once Pillsbury discontinued the key ingredient, Double Dutch Frosting Mix, bakers around the US complained so much that Pillsbury, brought back the mix temporarily, then eventually permanently discontinued it, finally posting a recipe for the cake that could be made without the frosting mix. Variations of the recipe have popped up here and there but the version that I ended up adapting was developed by Shirley Corriher, author of Bakewise (<-affiliate link), an excellent book that dives into the science of baking.

Slices of Tunnel of Fudge cake on plates.

What is the Tunnel of Fudge Cake?

The Tunnel of Fudge cake is a cake that was initial created by Ella Helfrich for the 1966 Pillsbury Bake Off contest. It won 2nd place and created a huge demand for the Bundt pan. The initial recipe used a powdered frosting mix which was discontinued in the mid-80s. The cake itself is a bundt cake that has a fudgy center, where the batter is slightly underbaked. Like a bundt pan version of the individual molten lava cake, the bundt cake is intensely chocolatey, and rich, with added nuts to give it texture and flavor.

How this recipe is adapted

The original recipe used a powdered frosting mix that was discontinued. Though you can find similar powdered frosting mixes to replicate the original recipe, Pillsbury published a version of the cake that you can make without this mix. 

Food scientist and recipe developer Shirley Corriher built her version of the Tunnel of Fudge recipe from the ground up, creating a more reliable version of the cake. My version is adapted from Corriher’s version, from her book Bakewise. I did minor tweaks to the recipe, swapping out some of the nuts for roasted cacao nibs to amplify the chocolate flavor. I also added a little bit of espresso powder, again to amplify this chocolate flavor. Finally, I shifted the bake temperature so the oven is preheated to 400°F when you place the pan in, lowering the temperature to the more traditional 350°F after you place the cake in the oven. This initially hotter oven temperature helps sets the cake on the outside, ensuring that the outer part of the cake bakes and sets, while the inside stays moist and fudgy.

A slice of tunnel of fudge cake with a glass of milk behind it.

Is it safe to eat the undercooked center cake batter?

The more fudgy center of the cake is due to the cooked outer rim of the cake and the underdone center of the cake. The biggest concern some folks have is eating undercooked cake batter. The more concerning pathogen in undercooked cake batter is raw egg and flour. Both can harbor salmonella or E coli bacteria or other food borne pathogens. E. coli is killed at 160°F, salmonella is killed at 165°F. As long as the internal temperature of the cake reaches 165°F, there’s no chance of getting sick from the cake. The internal temperature of the Tunnel of Fudge cake typically reaches about 180°F, which is high enough to kill common food borne pathogens, so it’s perfectly safe to eat!

How do you make this cake?

Making the tunnel of fudge cake is a little more labor intensive than just a typical bundt cake but don’t worry, it’s not THAT much more difficult.  The first step is to toast the nuts and cacao nibs by cooking them slightly on a dry skillet. Toast them on medium heat, shaking and stirring, until they darken slightly and smell fragrant. Then add a couple tablespoons of butter and some salt to the toasted nuts. You can skip the toasting step, but it really punches up the flavor to the nuts.

Then make the cake batter by placing the butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mixing all the ingredients together until it’s light and fluffy. This step is important because there’s no chemical leavening (baking soda or baking powder) in the recipe. This would alter the interior fudge layer. So you really need to mechanically add air into the batter by creaming the sugar and butter together.

Left image is butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of stand mixer. Right image is ingredients creamed together until it clings to the side of the bowl.

Once you have a fluffy and cream mixture, drizzle cooking oil into the batter, and then beat a little espresso powder into egg yolks. Add then add in the espresso egg yolks mixture and beat until incorporated.

Add sifted powdered sugar (sifting makes sure the powdered sugar doesn’t clump) along with sifted cocoa powder. Add eggs slowly, then the flour. Fold in the toasted buttered nuts and cacao nibs.

Left image is flour coated nuts and cacao nibs added to the cake batter. Right image is the inclusions mixed in.

Generously grease your bundt pan and then coat it with cacao powder. Spoon the batter into the pan and then place it in an oven that has been pre-heated to 400°F. Immediately lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for 40 minutes. No longer, no less. 

Once baked, let the cake cool on a wire rack. About 20 minutes after taking it in the oven, while the cake is still warm, press down on the cake, all the way around, to reduce the air gap that might form inside the “tunnel of fudge” part of the cake. Then let the cake cool completely in the pan, about 2 to 3 hours total from when you took it out of the oven.

Left image is cake batter in the pan, ready to be baked. Right image is a hand pushing down on the still warm baked cake.

Once cool, invert the cake pan over onto a cake stand or cake plate and sharply rap it on the countertop or table, to release it. Dust with powdered sugar or an optional chocolate glaze and serve.

Tips and substitutions for this cake

  • Make sure you have the right oven temperature: This cake is dependent on having an accurate oven temperature, as you cannot test it in a traditional way with just a toothpick. The interior of the cake will stay fluid and will give you a false reading. Instead use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven is the proper temperature for the cake. If your cakes tend to take longer to bake than most recipes, then your oven typically runs a little cool and you might want to increase the temperature of the oven to 375°F. If cakes bake fast, then decrease the oven temperature to 325°F. Do not overbake this cake, or you will not get the tunnel of fudge in the middle, which is the cake’s namesake.

    If you have an instant read thermometer, you can use this to test the cake. The interior of the cake should read 180°F to 185°F, which is lower than the temperature of a done cake (which is usually 205°). Do not overbake this cake.

  • Swap out cacao nibs: Cacao nibs are roasted cocoa beans, which is what chocolate is made out of. You can get cacao nibs at a well-stocked grocery store, an upscale grocery store, or online. If you don’t have cacao nibs, or prefer to make this without cacao nibs, just substitute out more nuts for the cacao nibs.
  • Swap out nuts: If you aren’t a fan of nuts or are allergic, feel free to swap out all cacao nibs for the nuts. Or play around and use different nuts. Chopped pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and even macadamia nuts are all great options for this cake. I don’t recommend leaving out the nuts as it really makes this cake. But if you hate the texture of nuts in a cake, feel free to just leave them out
  • Use the right bundt pan: This recipe works best with a heavy-duty sturdy metal pan. My favorite is Nordic Ware’s pans, which are cast aluminum and have a nonstick inside, which helps with the cake release. Thinner pans create hot spots and are not recommended. And even though I own numerous bundt pan shapes, I prefer to use the classic bundt pan shape, which has a large inside area that will allow the “tunnel of fudge” to form.

    Avoid silicone pans entirely. They seem like a great idea, as the flexible material means you cake can pop out easily. But the silicone material isn’t very sturdy and doesn’t retain heat, meaning the outer cake won’t brown and set as fast or as well as a metal pan. 

  • Properly grease your pan: I use a generous amount of butter and cacao powder to make sure the can releases. You can use a baker’s cake spray, which has flour and cooking oil in, but I prefer to brush on melted butter or shortening onto the pan, making sure to get all the crevices. You can also use “cake goop” which is a mix of 1:1:1 ratio of melted shortening, cooking oil, and flour (think 1 tablespoon of each, or 1/4 cup of each ingredient). If you make a large batch of the cake goop, you can store in your pantry for up to a year. Brush the cake goop into any pan you want to release a cake.
A slice of the tunnel of fudge cake on plate, with the remaining cake on a cake platter next to it.

How do you store the cake

This cake stores great at room temperature, under a cake dome, for up to 3 days or in the fridge tightly wrapped for up to 5 days. You can serve the cake at room temperature or cold. If you choose to serve the cake cold, the fudgy center will be more solid and truffle-like in texture.

If you like this Tunnel of Fudge Cake, check out these other chocolate recipes:

A slice of the tunnel of fudge cake on plate, with the remaining cake on a cake platter next to it.
A slice of tunnel of fudge cake on a plate, with the remaining cake behind it on a cake stand.

Print
Pin

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

This vintage cake features a slightly undercooked center that is fudgy and intensely chocolate in flavor. Make sure to follow the recipe exactly, no substitutions (other than the ones I listed above in my section on tips and substitutions). This cake relies on the oven temperature to be accurate as you cannot use the traditional toothpick test, as the undercooked “tunnel” will give you a false reading. If you undercook the cake, there won’t be a solid “baked” layer of cake on the outside to support the cake, and if you overbake cake, you’ll end up with a nice chocolate nutty cake, but no fudgy center. If you are unsure about your oven temperature, use an oven thermometer, or use an instant read thermometer to test the doneness (it should be finished at 180°F to 185°F). And if you don’t own either of those, just go with your own experiences with your oven. If cakes you bake in the past tend to bake faster than the recommended time in recipes, your oven is running a bit hot, so drop the temperature down 25°. If previous cakes take longer to bake, then increase the oven temperature by 25°.
Course coffee time, Dessert
Keyword bundt cake, chocolate, vintage
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Inclusions

  • 1 cup chopped pecans 120 g (can substitute another chopped nut, see note above)
  • 1 cup cacao nibs 115 g (see note above, can be substituted with more nuts)
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Batter

  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature, 285 g or 2 1/2 sticks
  • 1 cup white sugar 200 g
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar 165 g
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil 65 g
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional but recommended
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar powdered sugar, sifted, 230 g
  • 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder sifted 70 g
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 280 g
  • For pan
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter shortening or cake goop (see section above)

To finish

  • Powdered sugar or optional chocolate glaze (see note below for chocolate glaze recipe)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.Place the chopped pecans and cacao nibs in a dry skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring and shaking the pan frequently, until the nuts and cacao nibs start smelling fragrant. Immediately remove from heat and drizzle the melted butter over it and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and set aside to cool.

  • Make the cake batter by placing the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed, increasing to medium speed, mixing the ingredient together until the entire mixture is fluffy and light in texture and color, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally, to make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

  • Beat the oil, egg yolks and espresso powder together. Reduce the speed to low, and then drizzle the mixture into the bowl, making sure to incorporate it fully. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

  • Add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder to bowl, and slow mix to incorporate. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing and scraping down thoroughly between each addition.

  • Add the flour and the buttered nuts (the butter should have cooled around the nuts). Gently fold these ingredients in, either on low speed, or by hand with a large flexible spatula.

  • Brush a metal bundt pan with melted butter, shortening, or with cake goop (see section above). Dust with cocoa powder. Gently spoon the batter into the pan, smoothing it out to make sure the cake batter is evenly distributed in the pan.

  • Place the pan in the oven, then immediately reduce the heat of the oven to 350°F. Bake for 40 minutes. Do not test the cake with a toothpick, instead you have to rely on the accuracy of the oven. See my note above in regard to this.Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit on a wire cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes. Then press down on the cake all the way around, to reduce any air pockets that might have formed around the “tunnel of fudge” inside the cake. Then let the cake completely cool, a total of 2 to 3 hours.Once cooled, gently loosen the cake with a thin knife around the edges of the pan. Then invert the pan onto a cake platter or cake stand. Sharply tap it onto the counter or tabletop to release the cake.Dust the cake with powdered sugar or glaze it with a simple chocolate glaze (see note below for the chocolate glaze). Slice carefully, as the inside of the cake will have a fudgy interior filling.

Notes

Optional chocolate glaze: This cake is plenty chocolate fudgy on its own, especially with the addition of the cacao nibs, so I usually just dust it with a little bit of powdered sugar and serve it as is. But if you want to take it over the top, you can make a chocolate glaze and drizzle it on it before serving.
To make a chocolate glaze, melt 2 ounces (57 g) of chopped dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons (1 ounce or 28 g) of butter in a microwave safe bowl, cooking in bursts of 30 seconds and stirring between each cycle. You can also melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or directly in a pot on low heat. Once melted sift in 1 cup (115 g) of powdered sugar, stirring to dissolve.
Mix in 2 tablespoons of warm milk or cream and stir until the glaze is fluid. You can add more milk or cream as necessary. Pour or drizzle the glaze over the cake once it is cool to room temperature. Keep in mind the glaze will solidify as it cools so if you make ahead of time, you might want to warm it up in the microwave a bit to make it more fluid.

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.6g | Protein: 11.6g | Fat: 32.7g | Saturated Fat: 10.8g | Cholesterol: 354mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 33.9g | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg

Pin this recipe for later!

Top image is a slice of tunnel of fudge cake on a plate, with the remaining cake behind it on a cake stand. Bottom image is a slice of the tunnel of fudge cake on plate, with the remaining cake on a cake platter next to it.

Outdoor Kitchen Ideas – BBQ Service Pros Blog

admin
-
0


Outdoor kitchens are becoming all the rage these days making family barbecues easier than ever! Cooking on the grill is an excellent way to entertain company or just feed the family without heating up the kitchen or making a mess of that fact. Running back and forth from the kitchen to the patio gets old. These days grilling is easier and more enjoyable by putting together an outdoor kitchen. Even the simplest of setups can make outdoor cooking more efficient.  The fanciest ones mean you will not have to go back inside until all your guests leave because everything is right at your fingertips! Charcoal was great in the beginning, but the gas grill took over because of its convenience. Today’s most advanced BBQ grills have side burners, storage space and work areas built right in. Everything is incorporated to your outside patio and entertaining is no longer a chore to prepare.

Installing an outdoor kitchen may be just the thing for you if you have frequent cookouts and everyone is intrigued with your barbecue skills. Maybe you grill in large amounts and need more of an easier way to do this. An outdoor kitchen also could be just for you if you have an unused patio or deck.  If you want to move past the burgers and dogs and experiment with some savvy dishes an outdoor kitchen may be perfect for you. Also if you’re tired of the outrageous electric bills due to your heating up the kitchen and your air conditioner working overtime.  If any of these suggestions resonate with you, it’s probably time to do some outdoor kitchen shopping.

An outdoor kitchen can be as small or elaborate as you want with the grill being the centerpiece. The most common grills come with wheels that you can take with you when you move and come in a wide variety of sizes, features, and price.  These are also fun to take to the beach as well.  If you are planning to incorporate the kitchen as a permanent part of your home, select a built in grill that will drop into space on a cabinet with countertops that are integrated on the site. This is much like your kitchen inside. Some of the accessories you will need are baskets for grilling fish, vegetables or hush puppies, a griddle, tongs and a reliable meat thermometer.  Side burners are included in most grills today, but a camping stove can get the job done.  Make sure your work space is sanitized for food preparation. There are a variety of lights for your outdoor kitchen, but a direct light is best for the work area.

Clip-ons are available to clip directly onto your grill so you can get your meat perfect in the center! Another consideration is a patio heater or fire pit if you are going to use the space year round in chilly environments.  Insects can ruin the most elegant and well-planned parties so never forget to have repellents conducive to your location.  If bugs were not enough, smoke in your guest eyes is not comfortable so don’t forget the exhaust hood.  Other important things to remember is having enough electrical outlets, a refrigerator, sink and warming drawers to keep food heated till time to serve.  An ice machine is also convenient (no ugly, bulky coolers) and of course the wine storage.  Don’t forget the corkscrew!

1...345...6,327Page 4 of 6,327

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

FOLLOW US

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv

Skip to toolbar